Residents excited by evidence that The Amazing Race Canada came to town

Nancy Sixsmith was at the gym in Lunenburg on Monday when she saw people running around with cameras and microphones.

She and three friends sussed out that they were from The Amazing Race Canada, the Canadian version of the hit reality TV adventure show set to hit the airwaves July 15 on CTV.

“We saw contestants doing things and getting clues and tried to pump the producers for information,” Sixsmith said Wednesday. “It didn’t work. It was top secret, classified info.”

Sixsmith, a freelance book editor and longtime fan of The Amazing Race, says she and her friends also looked for Phil Keoghan, host of the U.S. version, to no avail.

The host of the Canadian show hasn’t yet been announced, though prize details have been unveiled. A news release from CTV says the winning team will receive $250,000 cash, free executive first-class airfare for a year for anywhere Air Canada flies and two 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingrays.

Teams competing in The Amazing Race Canada will criss-cross up to 9,000 kilometres, visiting both rural and urban centres “all while exploring (Canada’s) broad cultural and ethnic diversity, wildlife and iconic landmarks,” says the news release.

CTV publicists could not be reached Wednesday for information about the Lunenburg visit.

Sixsmith says she doesn’t want to give away too much information so won’t say how many contestants she saw.

“Like with all The Amazing Race shows, they do things that are local to the culture. They did lobster things and things involved with sausages, making and eating, I think.”

She was disappointed the show stopped by the historic town on a cold, wet holiday Monday.

“It was too bad it was Victoria Day and raining. The town was completely deserted. It’s not normal and did not make Lunenburg look as wonderful as we all think it is.”

She and her friends have already made plans to have a party and watch the episode whenever it airs.

“I know some Lunenburgers will be on camera,” she said, noting she witnessed people being filmed and asked to sign release forms.

There were rumours that the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic was part of the visit. Representatives of the museum could not be reached for comment.

Sixsmith said she heard The Amazing Race also went to Mahone Bay.

On Wednesday, Twitter was filled with reports about Amazing Race teams being in St. John’s, N.L.

Fans can follow the show on Twitter @AmazingRaceCDA or on Facebook. The show’s website is CTV.ca/TheAmazingRaceCanada.

I don't think we heard about sausage making, but I suppose it's possible. I found this news story from the following tweet that amused me:

Becky Blow ‏@MissBlow 10hToday I was on the bus with people doing Amazing Race Canada. That coulda been us @FarFromSubtle! That could have been us!

I'm not sure about the last one from @MissBlow. Her twitter page says she is from Vancouver, but she travels as a triathlete. One of her recent tweets refers to a thunderstorm and how she misses them because they don't happen often in Vancouver. I'm not sure if they are happening in Newfoundland in May though.